Tuesday, 16 October 2007

Friday, Sept. 28/07Toronto, Ont. Hello everyone! I’m back but not on the long road. I’m still traveling and everyday on foot offers new stories to tell, realizations and so on. Doug, who had been given the name Daruka over the summer as a gesture of appreciation in an initiation process, had driven us along with Billie to Toronto. Daruka moved on to his home, Winnipeg. I joked “there goes the pirate and the parrot”. I referred to him as a pirate not only because of his feathered friend whose usually perched on his shoulder but because he had covered many miles (not nautical miles) over the land. It’s been an adventure. Like the life of a pirate. There’s been no looting, robbing or murder. And no battles for him, save and except for battling the mind. Since his departure I’ve done daily walks while chanting on beads. The routes have been streets near the temple where I live-Yonge, Bloor, Davenport, Spadina Streets. I also included ravines, as the more flavored paths. Ryan is a new monk in the ashram and I have shown him the great escape areas from the city. He was surprised to discover “the green scene”, tucked secretly away from the asphalt jungle. A week ago I traveled by car with a sister, Connie and her daughter, my niece Taralyn, to see our ailing father. At 88, hospital-bound for now he struggles to eat. No appetite and cannot walk. Diagnosing at this point doesn’t reveal the actual cause for the weakness. We endeavor to make him as comfortable as possible. I thank him again for all he has done for me. My private chanting, japa these last few days is in dedication to him. Even if one has taken to the renounced order of life it doesn’t mean you renounce your humanism. After the drive to Chatham and back I prepared for the next trip. Flight 964 on Air Canada takes me to a country I have never been before—Cuba.

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ABOUT ME

I am a disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and I became a monk of the Hare Krishna order in 1973. My teacher gave me the spiritual name, Bhaktimarga Swami, which means "the path of devotion". Of course, this fits right in with my avid promotion of walking adventures as a way to connect with the Divine and lead a more care-free / car-free lifestyle. It is a great joy to share these adventures in both Canada and abroad with you via my daily blog.
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ARTICLE: BHAKTIMARGA SWAMI: A LIFE DRAMATIC

CLICK ON PHOTO TO READ FULL ARTICLE FEATURED ON ISKCON NEWS: To ISKCON devotees everywhere, the name Bhaktimarga Swami conjures up images of powerful, out-of-the-box stage productions; and of energetic kirtans, full of stomping dance moves and jubilant smiles...